


Snookums

by fardareismai



Category: Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: F/M, Tumblr Prompt, silliness ahoy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-18
Updated: 2019-05-18
Packaged: 2020-03-07 03:22:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 603
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18864709
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fardareismai/pseuds/fardareismai
Summary: From the Tumblr prompt "Nine and Rose, pet names and butterfly kisses"





	Snookums

**Author's Note:**

> Transferring some fic from Tumblr to AO3

“Your wife is very lovely, Doctor,” the price said, having sidled up to where the Doctor was watching his companion flit through the crowd like a butterfly.

“Rose?  Oh she’s not my wife.”  The Doctor took the glass of wine that the prince was proffering and had a sip before he glanced at the other man’s face to see it openly calculating.

“Not your wife?  How charming,” the prince said with a mercenary smile.  "So… she is unmarried?“

"Yes,” the Doctor said slowly, wondering where this conversation was going.  He’d not been to this planet before, but the TARDIS usually avoided taking him anywhere dangerous when he needed to apologize to Rose, and after the disaster of making her miss a year, he’d thought that his old ship was in accord with him that Rose deserved somewhere nice.

His ship seemed as fond of their new companion as he was himself.

The prince seemed to catch the Doctor’s hesitation.  "I mean her no harm, naturally,“ he said, quickly.  "She is quite charming and, as well you know, I’m sure, the point of this ball is for me to find a wife.  It is important to know the availability of every woman here, of course.”

Damn the TARDIS and all her meddling ways, the Doctor thought.  She’d told him to make some kind of claim on the girl before she was swept off her feet by some pretty boy in the wider universe.  She would land the pair of them here simply to highlight the fact that the Doctor needed to make his move sooner rather than later.

“When I say she’s unmarried, I don’t mean she’s available,” the Doctor said, quickly.

“No?” the prince asked.

“No… she and I are…”

_Friends?  He hopes so, but it’s not enough._

_Best friends?  Still not good enough._

_Lovers? Sadly untrue._

_Plus-ones? He wouldn’t understand it anyway._

_Boyfriend and girlfriend?  Ugh.  He doesn’t even look young this go-‘round._

“Sweethearts.  Betrothed.  We’re promised to each other.  Have been since she was a little girl.”

“Oh really?  Is that so, Ms. Rose?”  The prince directs this question just over the Doctor’s shoulder where, apparently, Rose had just arrived.

“Rose!  Darling!  Sweetheart!  Pookie Bear!”  The Doctor turned to his companion, eyes wide, trying to convey everything that had passed between himself and the prince without giving away the lie.

“Er… hello Doctor.  Your highness.  Is what so?”

“I was just telling the prince here about our engagement, cupcake,” the Doctor said in a rush.

“Engagement?”

The Doctor reached into his pocket and found a biodamper ring that he palmed.  He then reached out and took Rose’s right hand, employed a small amount of slight-of-hand to slide the ring on, even as he brushed a gentle kiss over her knuckles.

“Of course, princess,” he said, holding up her newly ornamented hand for her to see.  "Engagement.“

Rose smiled brightly, but the Doctor could see that it did not reach her eyes, which were shooting daggers at him.

"Of course!  Our engagement.  How silly of me, my doodle bug,” she said, reaching up and tapping him on the slightly over-large nose.  She smirked for real when he wrinkled his nose at the name.

“So you are engaged then?” the prince asked, sounding disappointed.

“Yes, for ages now.  Seems like nine-hundred years sometimes, wouldn’t you say, Snookums?”

The Doctor rolled his eyes, and the prince nodded in disappointment before taking his leave.

The Doctor leaned toward Rose to whisper into her ear, his cool breath over her neck and his eyelashes just brushing her temple.

“You read far too much  _Calvin and Hobbes_.”


End file.
